Introduction of Modern Military Science in Republican China: Northeast Journal of Military Studies of the Fengtian Army as Example

The Fengtian Army (fengjun) could trace its root from the modernized militia of Fengtian Province during the late Qing Reform in the early 20th century. Under the stewardship of Zhang Zuolin, the army gradually expanded into one of the most efficient and modernized military forces in China, complete with air and naval branches, until the fall of Manchuria in 1931. Its pivotal role in geopolitics of Northeast Asia and in the civil wars in China during the early republican period has been extensively studied. However, the role of the Fengtian Army in introducing modern military science to China has been little understood. In addition to the establishment of the military academies in Manchuria, the most important one being the Military Academy of the Three northeastern Provinces (Dongsansheng jiangwutang), it also established one of the first peer-reviewed journals of military science in China, Dongbei junshi zazhi (Northeast Journal of Military studies, 1924- 1931). The journal, contributed mainly by officers of the Fengtian Army, was read not only by Fengtian officers but also soldiers from other military factions and even public intellectuals. It covers not only technical issues such as latest military technology in Europe but also lessons from the First World War, strategies and tactics, combined arms warfare, and even discussion of civil-military relations. This paper attempts to illustrate the use of Dongbei junshi zazhi as a source to revisit our understanding of military change during the early Republican Period.